Exclusive Preston North End player column: Taxi for Jayden Stockey

As you will know I had to pull out of the squad just a couple or so hours before our 2-2 draw at Carrow Road and isolate from the other lads.

The background was that there were a few symptoms going round at my little girl’s school but not in her bubble.

She came home with a sore throat and because she went for a test, I told our club doctor what the position was and he said I had to isolate until the result came through.

So it meant leaving the lads, and the club organised for a taxi to bring me back to Preston.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t sat in a cab all the way home – it was a nice car.

By the end of the journey, the driver and myself were best mates because it was a long time to spend in each other’s company!

I know now at first hand how long the drive is from Norwich to Preston and spare a thought for the taxi driver who had to make the return trip.

On the way I was able to listen to the commentary from the game and the lads certainly put in a very good performance against a strong Norwich side.

What was frustrating is that I was due to start the game and we had done all the preparation work in training for the game.

We’d gone through the tactics and I was really looking forward to starting.

A few days before, I’d started the Carabao Cup game at Derby and done well there, so I was confident on the way to Norwich.

Fortunately my daughter got the all-clear and I was able to play in the Brighton game on Wednesday night.

It was disappointing to lose the game but I thought we did well in the first half.

We had a couple of good chances, I had a shot which the goalkeeper made a fine save from and pushed around the post.

Then from the corner, 
Pat Bauer put a header against the bar.

Had either of those two chances gone in, we would have had something to hold on to and defend.

As it was, Brighton took the lead in the second half with a fantastic finish and it got difficult for us after that.

Brighton are a good team and I thought they showed their class as they controlled the second half.

Just looking back at the shot I had which the keeper saved, I always fancy my chances with the ball at my feet and like to shoot. It’s a part of my game which I’m always looking to improve.

Towards the end of last season I scored with a good finish from the edge of the box at Sheffield Wednesday.

The chance I had against Brighton was quite similar.

We move on now to play Stoke at Deepdale on Saturday and we’ll be 
looking to get our first win in the Championship on the board.

We’ve had a few good results against Stoke since I’ve been here and hopefully that run can continue.

Both away games against them we’ve won, while we beat them at Deepdale last season.

Stoke are a big club who spent a lot of time in the Premier League but they’ve struggled a bit since dropping into the Championship.

They will be looking to be a lot stronger this time.